This piece looks at machine learning methods being used to create a deepfake (a portmanteau of ‘deep learning’ and ‘fake’). While the advances in the technology are exciting news for the film industry, the potential for misuse is significant. Within a very short time frame, the technology allows a film to be created of an individual appearing to say and do things that she has not said and done. Read the rest of this entry »

The public interest defence under section 4 of the Defamation Act 2013 replaced the old defence of Reynolds privilege. A number of cases have since established that the old criteria for responsible journalism under Reynolds is still relevant when assessing the reasonable belief requirement of the new defence. Read the rest of this entry »

The Michaelmas Legal Term 2018 will end on 21 December 2018 with the Hilary Term 2019 commencing on 11 January 2019. INFORRM will be taking a Christmas break with the first Law and Media Round Up of the New Year being published on 14 January 2019. Read the rest of this entry »

By Judgment handed down on 29 November 2018 (R (on the Application of Jefferies and Others) v (1) Secretary of State for the Home Department (2) Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport[2018] EWHC 3239 (Admin)) Lord Justice Davis and Mr Justice Ouseley dismissed the Claimants claims for Judicial Review of the Government’s decision to not embark on ‘Part 2’ of the Leveson Inquiry. Read the rest of this entry »

The newspaper being sued by a wealthy businessman over allegations relating to his purchase of homes intended as affordable housing has been told it must re-plead its defence to his libel claim. Read the rest of this entry »

On 4 December 2018, the European Court of Human Rights provided some helpful clarification on the potential liability for posting hyperlinks to defamatory content in the case of Magyar Jeti Zrt v. Hungary. In doing so, the Court referred to the ever-growing corpus of European Union law concerning the concept of “communication to the public” contained in Article 3(1) of the InfoSoc Directive 2001/29/EC. Read the rest of this entry »

On no fewer than five occasions in the course of his inquiry into the press in 2011-12, Brian Leveson expressed to witnesses and the public a concern that his report might end up gathering dust on the second shelf of a professor of journalism’s bookcase – nothing more than historical evidence of wasted effort. Read the rest of this entry »